News Release
September 16, 2024 (Augusta, ME) – The federal government today issued its final sale notice for the responsible development of offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) notice sets October 29th as the date for its auction of lease areas for building floating offshore wind projects to potential developers. The eight lease areas could host about 13 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy, which could power more than 4.5 million homes according to BOEM. Based in part on provisions in Maine’s offshore wind law, the areas will be outside the fishing areas used by nearly the entire Maine-based lobster fishery.
Maine’s leading environmental advocacy organization, the Natural Resources Council of Maine, issued the following statement from Climate & Clean Energy Director Jack Shapiro in response to today’s announcement:
“This final sale notice is a massive milestone for realizing the enormous potential to deliver vast amounts of affordable, reliable, home-grown clean energy to Maine and the rest of New England.
This is our opportunity to create a new clean energy industry for Maine that builds on our proud maritime and shipbuilding legacy with thousands of new jobs, lower pollution, and stronger communities.”
The State of Maine is also moving forward with a 15.2-square-mile research array to deploy up to 12 floating offshore wind turbines using innovative technology developed by University of Maine researchers and students. Scientists will gather data from the project to better understand how offshore wind can be responsibly developed to avoid or mitigate impacts to wildlife, the marine environment, and other users of the Gulf of Maine.
In 2023, environmental groups and organized labor partnered to pass a landmark offshore wind law with strong labor standards, extensive wildlife protections, and incentives for investments in coastal communities.
For more information on offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine visit: https://www.nrcm.org/programs/climate/clean-energy/offshore-wind-maine/
